


Breath

by Rotblume



Series: Breathless [1]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M, Near Death Experiences
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-07
Updated: 2016-01-07
Packaged: 2018-05-12 11:24:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5664370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rotblume/pseuds/Rotblume
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"In any other situation the military commander of Atlantis would have calmed himself by taking deep breaths, but he could hardly do that under water."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Breath

**Author's Note:**

> I am not a native English speaker and would appreciate any constructive criticism.
> 
> Now finally with a Sequel.

Drowning was painful. He didn't want to drown.  
Sheppard kept repeating this in his mind because it was the only thing standing between him and a horrible death. It was what prevented him from giving into the urge to gasp for breath.

Well, that and maybe the fact that he saw Todd's blurry form swimming in his direction. After all, Sheppard wanted to tell the damn Wraith what a stupid idea it had been to push him down that cliff.  
The time it needed to fall 60 feet wasn't nearly enough to prepare for the impact.

Sheppard knew Todd had probably saved his life by doing what he had done. The soldier had almost been riddled with bullets as Kolya's men stepped onto the clearing of the forest the Genii had followed them through all day.  
Anyway, he could have warned Sheppard, couldn't he?

No, all the Wraith had done was sizing him up and then pushing him so that he had lost his balance and tumbled from the cliff.  
In slow motion Sheppard had seen how Todd had leaped off the ground after him and how people had appeared on the clearing, looking over the edge.

However, his collision with the hard and cold water surface had still come too soon and taken all his breath.  
Sheppard had felt pain shooting down his spine and his vision had blackened, but he had reached out for something and had been able to grasp Wraith clothing.

It really was infuriating how Todd could move so gracefully through the dark water despite his heavy, leather like coat.  
And that was why Sheppard had been surprised as he had seen the Wraith bleeding from different shot wounds. That was, until he had realized that Todd had been shielding him from the bullets the Genii had aimlessly shot after them instead of trying to dodge them.

Still, he couldn't protect the Colonel from the crumbled boulders, that accompanied the barrage of gunfire.  
Kolya's men had hit overhanging rocks at the stone walls confining the water and one of those had come crashing down and pulled him along when sharp edges had caught in his pants.

Sheppard had lost his hold of the Wraith and the pressure had forced him down onto the ground of the sea at a terrific speed.  
By then, the adrenaline hadn't affected him anymore and he had suddenly become painfully aware of the mass of water around him and the low temperature of it.

In any other situation the military commander of Atlantis would have calmed himself by taking deep breaths, but he could hardly do that under water.  
So he had listened to his heartbeat and attempted to lift that stupid rock of his leg, uncomfortably trapped in a reef.

Sheppard wasn't nearly strong enough and now he simply would have to survive until Todd reached him.  
That, fortunately, didn't take much longer and soon he saw glowing eyes and white hair that shone even in this depth.

The Wraith instantly began trying to lift the rock and Sheppard helped as much as he could, but they were both weakened, either from lack of oxygen or blood loss.  
Todd seemed to notice it, too, because every time the human closed his eyes he felt a slap against his cheek, that jolted him awake.

And then it wasn't a slap but a kiss that startled him.  
Although, you really couldn't call pressing lips together a kiss if it was just done in order to share breath. Sheppard decided that as soon as they were safe, instead of telling the Wraith off for pushing him, he'd rather teach him properly kissing.


End file.
